About the
The Pony Express and the Transcontinental Railroad
Lesson
Summary
This lesson introduces students to the Pony Express and the transcontinental railroad.
Lesson Objectives
• To be able to explain how the Pony Express worked.
•
To be able to identify the purpose of the transcontinental railroad.
•
To be able to identify the parties involved in the building of the transcontinental railroad.
Suggested Grades
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
Lesson Excerpt
After the Gold Rush, a road was built from Tipton, Missouri to San Francisco, California. It took three weeks to travel between these two cities. For many people, three weeks was too long. People wanted to receive their mail more quickly.
In 1860, a company in Missouri started the Pony Express. The Pony Express was a new way of delivering mail. Every ten miles along the road, there was a relay station. A Pony Express rider would take a bag of mail and then ride his horse at full speed to the next relay station. At the next station, the rider would take more mail and switch to a fresh horse.
Continued...
